James L. Burke, 75, passed quietly into the presence of Jesus on May 28, 2009, after a brief illness. He was born in Payette, Idaho, on Jan. 25, 1934, to Berwyn and Dorothy (Dryden) Burke, who have both passed away.
Jim was raised in a newspaper family and he worked on his father's newspapers, namely the Jerome North Side News, the Ritzville Journal Times and the Wood River Journal. The family moved back to Idaho, settling in Hailey, in 1948. Jim's love of reading entire newspapers every morning continued throughout his life.
Jim graduated from Hailey High School in 1952 and soon after joined the Army. He served as a medic with a combat engineering battalion in the army of occupation in Germany. Upon his discharge he attended and graduated from Kinman Business University and took a job at the Hanford site where he worked until his retirement in 1989.
Jim married the true love of his life, Dorothy Schilperoort, in 1973. She was his dearest friend who introduced him to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He became stepdad to her seven sons and one daughter and was Grandpa Jim to 19 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Jim is survived by six stepsons, Don (LaDonna) Schilperoort, Troy (Betty) Schilperoort, Wes Schilperoort, all of Sunnyside, Wash., Dale Schilperoort of Sawyer, Wash., Brad (Merrie) Schilperoort of Richland, Wash., and Daryl (Debbie) Schilperoort of Yakima, Wash.; a stepdaughter, Angie (Manuel) Guzman of Mabton, Wash.; and three brothers, Bill (Vye) Burke of Cornelius, Ore., Max (Darlene) Burke and Larry (Sandy Marostica) of Boise, Idaho. He was preceded in death by his stepson Robert Schilperoort
Jim will be greatly missed by his dear friend Dorothy Anderson and many others who knew him for his kind, gentle and loving spirit.
Viewing will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at Valley Hills Funeral Home of Yakima. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Lower Valley Memorial Gardens in Sunnyside. A memorial service will follow at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at open Bible Christian Center in Yakima.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or Alzheimer's Association.
